


Dragon's Leaders

by Direwolf88



Series: ATEEZ Flock- Ateez as Dragons Series [3]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Bonds, Family Feels, Gen, Surprise Appearance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 05:47:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30017052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Direwolf88/pseuds/Direwolf88
Summary: Part 3 of my series ATEEZ Flock: Ateez as DragonsHongjoong and Seonghwa contemplate their family. It's dinner time for everyone! The Flock has visitors.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: ATEEZ Flock- Ateez as Dragons Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2196048
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	Dragon's Leaders

**Author's Note:**

> That last episode of Ateez Holdings with them just playing around inspired this one a good bit. It was such a sweet and fun episode.
> 
> Hopefully, this chapter can explain the relationships and bonds in the universe a little better. We are almost done with the short introductory snippets and ready to dive into the novel portion of the story.
> 
> I would love to hear feedback before I crack down and start editing the first chapters of the novel that I have ready. Things you love, requests to see more of certain things, things you are unclear bout? Any constructive comments welcome. :)
> 
> Thank you for all Kudos and Comments so far.
> 
> Warning for all of my vegetarian/vegan friends out there. They do have a meal in this chapter and they are apex predators so the meal is naturally other animals. If this is not cool with you, I totally understand. Please be conscious of that and skip that part of the story. Want everyone to be happy and safe when reading.
> 
> Anywho, enjoy :)

_Yah! Yunho-ah, be careful! Remember that Wooyoung is smaller than you and you could hurt him if you’re too rough._

Seonghwa wasn’t sure if either dragon heard his warning over the loud sounds of their rather heated rough-housing. They had been playing for over an hour, evidenced by tracks of downed trees and lingering smoke trails in the sky.

Wooyoung was currently half-draped over Yunho, scrabbling desperately at the tough scales that covered Yunho’s entire back like a natural set of steel armor. But Yunho was no easy target and had managed to pin Wooyoung’s lower half beneath his powerful forelegs. The entangled duo were using heads, neck, and limbs, shoving and pushing at each other with all their might, each trying to win over the other. Apparently, they had heard Seonghwa’s admonishment. Wooyoung briefly gave up his focus, just long enough to snort angrily at Seonghwa.

_Hyung, I am NOT that small. I can handle myself._

Yunho took advantage of Wooyoung’s lapse in concentration and managed to flip Wooyoung over, pinning him firmly to the ground, a gusty _oomph_ escaping Wooyoung’s long snout.

_What was that, Little Hatchling?_ Yunho teased.

_No fair! Seonghwa distracted me._

Wooyoung was still trying to escape Yunho’s hold, scratching at the soft soil beneath him. But it was no use. Yunho had him firmly pinned.

_That’s Seonghwa-hyung to you, pip squeak._ Yunho followed his reprimand with a gentle nibble to the scruff of the younger dragon’s neck.

Though Wooyoung was nearly fully matured at the tender age of 48, for some reason he still had a small soft spot at the base of his long neck. None of them were sure why. Even Jongho’s scruff had firmed up long ago though he was 2 years younger than Wooyoung. This spot was present on all Hatchlings throughout their younger years until their Molting. It was a biological evolution that allowed parents to lift and carry their young, who could not fly, without hurting or injuring them. Wooyoung’s softs scruff remained, though Yunho noted fondly that it seemed Wooyoung’s scruff became firmer every day.

Wooyoung eventually calmed and relaxed his matte black form, curling his tail sweetly around Yunho’s in a silent show of surrender and acceptance. Yunho took this rare opportunity of a calm and pliant Wooyoung to engage in some much overdue bonding. He settled his larger form next to Wooyoung’s with only one of his forelegs swung over the younger dragon’s shoulders just below his wing joints.

He proceeded to lick and nibble at Wooyoung’s scales and all of the cracks and crevices in between them. Though dragon scales were extremely tough, they had the nasty habit of easily crusting with dirt and debris. And most dragons were meticulously clean creatures, so they required constant attention.

Due to their dexterous necks, dragons were perfectly capable of grooming themselves, but it was common practice between Flock Mates to help clean one another. It was an easy way to reinforce social bonds and spend quality time together. Yunho groomed Wooyoung thoroughly, only avoiding the wings. Generally speaking, cleaning the wings was reserved for Companions, as it was a slightly more intimate area to dragons.

Seonghwa smiled sweetly at the two of them from inside the cave they had set up as their Nest. He glanced around the large open area outside of their Nest and was happy to see almost all his Flock Mates were congregated around doing various things, but all of them safe and happy.

He and Hongjoong had chosen the large cave as their Nest for several reasons. The main cave was humongous in size, which allowed all of them to huddle together on cold or stormy nights, but it also had several smaller caverns that branched off, allowing individuals or Companions some privacy if they so chose. It was also strategically located at the heart of a small mountain range. After exploration, they had discovered that the mountain range had a fresh water supply, plentiful wildlife and vegetation, and most importantly, it was uninhabited.

The silver dragon felt a familiar presence approaching from deeper inside the cave and was not at all surprised when he felt his Companion dig his claws into Seonghwa’s rump and proceed to climb somewhat gracefully on top of him, settling fully on top of the older dragon. The elder dragon remained as still as possible, allowing Hongjoong to lower his beautiful sapphire head slowly, making sure he didn’t accidentally impale himself on Seonghwa’s horns.

_Comfortable Joongie?_ Seonghwa questioned softly.

A soft affirmative rumble was all the response he received.

They lay that way for some time. Though Hongjoong was small in comparison to Seonghwa, he was still a dragon and his weight was no minor thing. But Seonghwa could not bear to force Hongjoong away. They didn’t get such peaceful moments as often as one might believe, so he treasured it.

Eventually Hongjoong broke their silent reverie.

_You shouldn’t worry so much, ‘Hwa. Yunho is competent. You know he would never hurt Wooyoung._

Seonghwa flicked his tail slightly in irritation.

_Maybe not intentionally. But accidents happen. Remember when Yeosang and San were mock fighting and Yeosang accidentally pushed San off that cliff edge. San was still learning to fly properly and couldn’t catch himself in time. If the cliff edge hadn’t been so low, he could have been seriously-_

Hongjoong rumbled in amusement.

_Alright. Alright, Love. You’re right. I’m sorry._ He supported his apology with several licks of his sand-paper tongue to the crown of Seonghwa’s head. He knew that Seonghwa was particularly sensitive there and he could quell most small arguments with just a bit of tender attention to that spot. It was a weapon he had no qualms wielding.

Seonghwa ruffled his wings in delight before relaxing into the petting, unable to stop himself from emitting a deep chirping noise in contentedness. But he should have known Hongjoong’s easy surrender was too good to be true.

_Although, you really should be careful with your scoldings. You know as well as I do how they like to tease you….Eomma_

Seonghwa rolled his eyes, but remained still, allowing Hongjoong to continue his ministrations.

_I still don’t understand why they insist on borrowing that human term. We don’t even have an exact equivalent in our language._

He felt Hongjoong shrug in response.

Dragons did not mate or give birth in the way that most creatures did, so there was no separate term for mother and father, only a single term for parent. Seonghwa truly did not understand how humans were able to repopulate so well. To him, their entire process seemed so… _messy_. He shuddered in confusion pondering it.

No one was entirely sure where dragon eggs came from now. Female dragons had become incapable of laying eggs eons ago. Some believed that they were direct gifts from the heavens. Others thought that Nature herself formed the eggs. They were rare things, often appearing behind raging waterfalls, or atop dangerous cliffs and mountains. Places that were slightly more accessible to dragons but treacherous to other creatures.

All eggs were created dormant. They could only be brought to life when two adult dragons, almost always Companions, shed blood from their Heart Scales onto the egg. Dormant eggs were light gray in color and were only viable for several decades. If not given life, the eggs would slowly turn from appearing stone in color to actual stone. It was a terrible thing for a Dragon Egg to be wasted in such a way.

Seonghwa, careful of Hongjoong still above him, turned his head toward the back of their cave and the small secret space there.

The silver dragon stood up slowly, prompting Hongjoong to slide off his back. He ambled into the cave, Hongjoong following close behind. Once he reached the secret nook, he used his snout and foreclaws to carefully lift their makeshift covering of branches and leaves and revealed the precious treasure beneath.

Three dragon eggs, all a plain unassuming gray but so beautiful by their mere existence. Seonghwa gazed lovingly down at them. He blew several short streams of steam over them. This did no real good as the eggs were still Dormant, but the act came naturally, and it seemed to comfort Seonghwa, so Hongjoong chose not to comment.

Seonghwa spoke up, breaking the sweet silence of the moment and surprising Hongjoong a bit.

_Thank goodness they were not mentioned in that damned book._

Hongjoong nodded firmly in agreement. It was true that there had been no mention of the eggs in the golden book Seonghwa had recovered. Unfortunately, there was other vital information that was. Such as Hongjoong’s lineage and some of the other Flock Mates’ abilities. It still troubled him to no end that the book existed at all. He could only theorize that the dragon who had attacked Mingi had seen more than they originally thought and despite the precautions, the dragon had been able to communicate his findings to others. It was worrisome to say the least. Because of their young age and general inexperience, they were still quite vulnerable as a Flock and their best defense was secrecy.

Hongjoong could still remember his shock when Seonghwa and Mingi had returned to the cave that day 2 years ago, dragon eggs in hand. They had apparently discovered them tucked behind the largest waterfall of their territory. Hongjoong knew immediately that it was dangerous to keep the eggs. Even dormant eggs were greatly prized by humans for their magical and medicinal properties. And other dragons coveted them of course since they were not easy to come by. He had initially wanted to fly the eggs far away from their territory, putting danger and risk as far away from his Flock Mates as possible. But Seonghwa had adamantly refused. He had literally stomped his feet at Hongjoong in a rare fit of temper, denying all attempts to reason with him. He claimed the eggs were meant to be their Flock’s and that they should protect them. Hongjoong had reluctantly agreed eventually and now he treasured them as much as Seonghwa and all the rest did. Even brusque Jongho occasionally tended to the eggs, making sure they were well secured.

The thought had of course crossed Hongjoong’s mind that the eggs would not remain viable forever, but that was a dilemma for much farther down the line. They seemed to still have a good amount of time left. He and all his other Flock Mates were still considered too young to be parents, despite none of them being Hatchlings and through most of their Moltings. Most dragons waited until at least after their 100th birthday to consider becoming parents, and the oldest in their Flock, Seonghwa was only 72.

He fondly observed Seonghwa using his snout to nose the eggs around, changing their positions and moving them closer together.

_Come on, ‘Hwa. It’s getting close to dinner time and San should be back soon with food._

_Mmm._ Seonghwa acquiesced, gently replacing the branches and leaves as a cover for the eggs and following Hongjoong out of the cave.

As predicted, San was flying in just as they left the cave, his descent slightly hindered by the heavy load of fresh meat in his claws.

San landed and placed two large deer carcasses in the center of the gathering Flock.

Hongjoong let out a relatively soft roar, the signal to the Flock that it was ok to begin eating. The elder dragons dug in first, as was custom, so that they could tear open the tough hide. The younger dragons followed shortly thereafter, all the most tender cuts now displayed and easy to reach thanks to the elders’ efforts.

Hongjoong watched San step back and withdraw several small fish from one of his back claws placing them down firmly in front of Wooyoung. The aquatic animals were Wooyoung’s favorite snack. The Flock Alpha noticed a particularly apologetic glint to San’s eyes when he did so and figured this must be San’s attempt at lessening Wooyoung’s lingering anger.

Wooyoung seemed to accept the gesture, unsurprising since his tempers were intense but never long lasting. The matte black dragon nudged his Companion gently, gratefully lowering his large head and gulping down the fish in just a few quick bites.

San puffed up in pride at seeing his Companion eat so heartily what he had hunted and provided. He waited until Wooyoung was nearly done before re-joining the rest of the Flock and tucking into the meal.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa shared a secret glance over their meal. They were used to the daily machinations of their Flock, especially in regards to the inner workings of the bonded pairs, but it was always nice to see a conflict resolved.

Once the meal was completed, they all began to settle down for the evening. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yeosang, and Wooyoung made their way into the Nest ready to call it a day and preparing to sleep. San and Jongho had volunteered to gather the bones and other bits of remaining carcass and dispose of them. Yunho had decided to light a fire under the stars just outside of the Nest for his Companion to enjoy. They were currently entwined together with Mingi cleaning traces of dinner off Yunho’s snout.

_It isn’t like you to be so messy, Naui Bomul_ ( **trans. My Treasure** ). Mingi chided sweetly.

Before Yunho could respond, they were interrupted by a strange noise. It sounded like a dragon roar, but it was distant and not one he was familiar with. The emerald green dragon’s reaction was immediate. He stood quickly and began nudging a startled Mingi toward the cave, ignoring his protests and questions for an explanation.

He met Hongjoong coming out of the Nest. The sapphire dragon must have heard it as well.

_Mingi, get inside. Now._

_But, Hyung-_

_Listen to our Leader. Go._ Yunho didn’t mean to snap at his Companion or sound so cold, but when it came to Mingi’s safety, he took nothing lightly. He never would. Not again. Not after the attack.

Thankfully Mingi seemed to understand that the situation was dire, going inside the Nest to join Seonghwa, Wooyoung, and Yeosang. He made sure to let his wing press briefly against Yunho, letting him know that he was not angry. Yunho sighed gratefully, promising to himself that he would make up for his curt actions to Mingi later.

Now, the most pressing concern was finding Jongho and San. That they had not yet returned when dinner disposal was usually a quick process. That, coupled with the sound of a stranger so near their territory, filled their hearts with fear.

In situations like these, time was of the essence. Hongjoong and Yunho took to the skies, keeping each other within their sights but far enough away to set a decent search grid. They flew for what felt like ages but had likely only been a couple of hours.

When they finally found their brethren, it was at the very edge of their territory. They came upon a scene that neither had expected. They landed swiftly next to Jongho and San. Neither appeared overly defensive but were both still guarded.

In front of them was a group of 4 mature male dragons, all clearly in their prime and seasoned fighters if Hongjoong had to make a guess. They were gorgeous creatures and strangely they did not feel threatening to Hongjoong. Instead they gave him a sense of familiarity and comfort even, though he couldn’t explain why.

The one toward the front of the small Flock must have realized that Hongjoong was the Leader and bowed his head in a small but respectful gesture. His primary coloring was a sandy tan with soft white on his underbelly, snout, and tail tip. His horns were also white and fully developed. They had small nicks and markings, clear signs of battle. Hongjoong returned the bow instinctively.

_Greetings, friend._ The tan dragon began, a gentle smile meant to comfort etched on his face. _We are terribly sorry to intrude, but we were hoping we could rest in this area for a few days. We have been traveling non-stop recently and could use some time to recuperate._

Hongjoong was taken aback. Their Utopian Mountain Range was close to the ocean and far enough away from most dragon civilizations, that they rarely saw other dragons. And they had never before been approached by other dragons, at least not those without ill intent as these seemed to be.

Hongjoong’s instinct was to trust this Flock and their kind Leader. He was surprised at himself. But he thought of the dragons waiting for them back at their nest, Seonghwa’s beloved face and Mingi’s mangled wings in particular coming to the forefront of his thoughts.

_I am not totally opposed. But please understand our wariness. We do not receive visitors often_. Ever, he supplied in his mind.

_Of course._ The other Leader did not seem angry or put off by Hongjoong’s luke warm welcome _. I can assure you we will be on our best behavior. We do not intend to make trouble during our brief stay. Though…_

Hongjoong tensed at the disclaimer, unsure how the other dragon would finish his statement.

_Though our Maknae here is renowned for his troublemaking and despite our best efforts, we cannot completely reign him in._ He leaned in slightly closer to Hongjoong, play whispering the last bit.

_Not that we would choose to anyway_. He finished with a laugh.

Hongjoong glanced behind the Leader at what he presumed was the youngest of the four strangers, a beautiful canary yellow dragon with striking purple eyes. Hongjoong had to admit, as a first impression, he did look rather meddlesome, but entirely loveable. He returned his attention to the tan dragon and responded with a lighter but still genuine laugh of his own.

_I understand what you mean. We have a few troublemakers of our own._

_Right._ The other Leader commiserated. _So what do you say. Do we have your permission to stay for a bit?_

Hongjoong considered carefully again before finally answering.

_Very well._ He felt more than saw his Flock Mates tense behind him in surprise, but he continued on without acknowledging their concerns. _We won’t try to pry into your personal matters but since you will be staying in our territory, could you at least tell us your names?_

The Leader of the strangers flinched.

_Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. How discourteous of me. Of course! We should have introduced ourselves to begin with._

Hongjoong nodded at him, indicating that there was no offense taken and for him to proceed.

_My name is Onew. Our maknae over there is Taemin. The shiny white dragon lurking moodily is Key and the one next to him is Minho. We call ourselves the Shinee Flock. It’s a pleasure to meet you._


End file.
